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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26870860">always together</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/starstrek/pseuds/starstrek'>starstrek</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Old Guard (Movie 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Domestic Bliss, Dorks in Love, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, M/M, Not Beta Read, Returning to Malta (The Old Guard), Sickfic, True Love</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 19:15:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>640</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26870860</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/starstrek/pseuds/starstrek</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>That one time Nicky called Joe, but he didn't wake up.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>88</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>always together</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>— Destati, amore. — Nicky whispered, Joe's arms were still around his waist and his face buried in his neck. — We have a long day.</p><p>It was not unusual for Joe to be all over Nicky even after one of them was awake, and now that the Italian had lost his immortality, his husband was even more attached to the habit. However, Nicolò could never complain. Yusuf was the most humorous, fun, caring person to grow old with and he rarely spoke about the end even though it was clearly tormenting him. He wanted to enjoy every minute with Nicolò, so when they told Andy they were stopping the missions to retire in Malta, she just smiled. They all agreed that once or twice a year they would meet (even Booker was allowed).</p><p>— Yusuf, my love? — Nicky  turned around, brushing a curl off his face. He noticed his husbands' forehead was burning and the desperation almost made him yell.</p><p><em>A fever.</em> Nicky came to his senses. <em>He has a fever. But shouldn't his body be healing-</em> if Nicolò was not on bed, he was a hundred percent sure his legs would have failed him and his face would be on the floor. He stood up quickly and ran to the bathroom; he soaked towels with water and went back to bed, placing one on his husband's forehead and another on his neck.</p><p>He removed Yusuf's pants to place two towels on each side of his groin and then he left to search for medications (because now that Nicky was mortal they had a cabinet for those). When he came back to the room, Joe was starting to wake up, his hands searching for Nicky on the bed, his eyes opening with a slight confusion because he didn't remember sleeping with wet towels all over him.</p><p>— Nico- — he whispered, as his husband took a seat next to him. — What? — he shut his eyes, leaning his body against the wall. — My head is hurting so much. </p><p>— Here. — Nicolò opened his hand to give him the aspirin and when he put it in his mouth, Nicky gently placed the cup on Joe's lips for him to drink the water. — I'll explain in a second. Actually, in a few minutes after you take a shower to lower the fever.</p><p>It didn't take too long for Nicky to discover what kind of patient Yusuf was. He did everything correctly but he always wanted Nicky with him, as close as two humans could be while wearing clothes. After the shower they went to the living room, Yusuf had a blanket around his shoulders and was being cuddled by Nicolò. It was still not enough though, he kept complaining about how he was not being hugged correctly with the biggest puppy face in the universe. Nicky couldn't help, but smile. He secretly loved it.</p><p>— Joe, you're mortal. You do realise that, right? — he asked and the other man nodded. — How are you feeling about this?</p><p>— In peace. — he looked up and Nicky's eyes met his. — The greatest gift of life is spending it with you and now we are going to leave the world together too.</p><p>Nicolò smiled, planting a soft kiss on his forehead. — Did it have to be so dramatic, Joe? — he giggled. — We discovered my mortality because I cut myself shaving and you almost made me lose my mind not waking up. </p><p>Joe laughed too. — It was the thought of losing you, habibi. — he intertwined their fingers. — I'm sorry for the trouble.</p><p>— No trouble, amore. — he answered. — I do have to leave you now because dinner won't make itself. You stay here to rest.</p><p>Nicky was cutting the carrots when he heard familiar footsteps entering the kitchen. Joe hugged his waist and kissed his neck.</p><p>They both smiled, knowing they would never have to be apart.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thank you for reading! english is not my first language and feedback is always welcome, but please be kind.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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